Infant&#39;s garment



Jan. 19, 1954 -s BEBMAN 2,666,203

INFANT S GARMENT Filed June 6, 1952 30 LNTOR.

Samuel Berman E? wa ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 19, 1954.y I Z UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

. lINFANTS GARMENT Samuel Berman, Hartford, Conn; y ApplicationJ une (i, 1952, Serial No. 292,150l

2 claims." (CL2-111) This invention relates to an iniants garment and, more specifically, to a, shirt for diaper-age children which is particularly adapted to support an abdominal belt or truss. y.

It is common practice yto apply and support a pressure pad on the umbilical region of newly born infants to prevent or guard against rupture of the navel. In a great many cases, a rupture is unavoidable and in such cases a pressure or rupture pad must be worn for sufficient time to permit healing. In either event, the pad and/or the abdominal belt which carries the pad are sources of a great deal ofdiscomfort to the child, not only because of the pressure, but also because of skin chang frequently results from poorly supported belts. f

It is the general aim of the present invention to provide an Vinfants shirt which will not only provide theusual protection expected of such garments, but which will in addition provide adjustable means for positioning and supporting an abdominal belty and the accompanying umbilical pad and which will protect the infants skin from the said belt and pad.

Other more specific objects and advantages Yof ther invention, as Well as features of construction, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the attached drawing.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a front View of aninfants shirt which incorporates the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear View of the shirt;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with an abdominal belt and pad in place over the shirt and showing how the shirt is arranged to support the belt; Y Y

Fig. eis similar to Fig. 3 but shows the shirt completely arranged to supportthe belt;

Fig. 5 is a front View of a shirt incorporating a second embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a front view of a shirt incorporating a third embodiment.

In each of Figs. 1-4, there is included an exemplary illustration of a commercially available type of infants shirt I0 having added thereto the structure of the present invention. For an understanding of this invention, it will sulice to point out that the'particular shirt shown in Fig. l includes sleeves I2, I2 and an overlapping body I4, i. e., the body of the shirt I0 overlaps at the front of the infant and the overlapping portions are secured to each other in conventional fashion as, for example, by tie strings i6.

The aforedescribed shirt as well as the shirts illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 are most commonly produced in knit cotton fabrics or a mixture of cotton with wool, rayon or other yarn. Because ofthe inherent nature of the knit fabric, the shirts are easily stretched out of shape if they are used in some fashion to support other articles like diapers, for example. v

In accordance with my invention reinforce the shirt so that the same can be used as the support means for a conventional abdominal belt or truss. Stretching of the shirt fabric is prevented because the reinforcing means provide the principal support for thesaid belt.

The above mentioned reinforcing means comprise a pair of elongated fabric tapes I8, I8, each of which is stitched as at 20, 20 adjacent itsV longitudinal edges to the shirt body I4 so as to extend fromfthe bottom of the shirt at the front, up and over one of the shoulders, to the bottom ofthe shirt at the back. Preferably, the tapes I8,v I8 are interconnected acrossthe back of the shirt by a third tape 22 similarly stitched, the last mentioned tape providing additional support to prevent stretchingofthe shirt I0.

As will be apparentfrom Figs. 3 and 4, .the tapes I8, I8 are utilized to support an abdominal belt 24 so that ,a rupture pad or pressure pad 2S, carried by. the belt, will be located in the umbilical region upon the infant. The lbelt 24 is conventional and is provided with a buckle Y28 so that it can be adjusted about the body ofthe infant for proper pressure upon Vthe umbilicus. It is the `customary practice to secure such a belt to the body of the infant beneath the infants shirt. Obviously, thebelt is'a source of discomfort to the child as particularly manifested by skin rash. Furthermore, the belt frequently slips from the proper position and thus doesnt serve its purpose. If the belt is tightened suiiiciently to prevent slipping, it is too tight about the childs abdomen.

In accordance with the present invention, the aforementioned disadvantages are avoided. The belt is placed on the outside of the shirt whereby the shirt protects the childs skin from chang and the shirt is adapted to support the belt in a manner which prevents slippage thereof. As previously mentioned, the reinforcing means on the shirt provides the principal support means for the belt.

More specifically, the reinforcing tapes I8, I8 are each provided with adjustable fastening means adjacent their opposite ends so that the said tapes and the bottom of the shirt can be folded over the belt 24 to prevent shifting thereof.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the fastening means comprise a male snap button 30 secured at each end of each tape I8 and a plurality of cooperating female button members 32, 32 spaced from the corresponding male member 5 30 and spaced from each other. The snap fastening members 30 and 32 are conventional articles of commerce and are carried by the tapes I8, I8 so that no portion of said members can engage the infants skin and causesirritations..

It will be readily understood that each male fastening member 30 can be brought into selec:v tive engagement with any one of the adjacent"y female members 32. The selection aiordedb'yl-v the plurality (three shown) of female members .15 permits adjustment of the loop taken in`th`e"bot= tom of the shirt and the verticalippsiton ofrtlie: belt is adjusted accordingly. When the,bottom, portion of the shirt hasbeen looped overtli'e" belt in the desired position, the overlapping por- 20 tionsY of theY shirtbody Idsmaysbe fastened to gether over the` belt by' tief-stringsfl; 3lli-fsot'l1".a.-I-l theV shirt body Will -beneatly 4folded-'in 'the-proper position.

be stretched nor Will litin anyWay-bindthe-child due to the emplaced abdominalb'elt: Substantially all ofthe weight-of-th"e=belt iscarriedby the reinforcingtapes I8,4V I3ssuspenzzled-from-the shoulders of the childandfthe'shi'rt merely; serves- 30 to protect the childs skin'fromchafingietc.

While the aforedescribedembodiment ofJ the' invention has been^describedin connection` WithV one type of commercially available-infants sh'irt, it should be understoodthatthestructure ofitheeg present invention can be appliedu to other--types of shirts. In Figs. land 6- au sleeveless, non-v overlapping shirtk 1d-has been" shown 'as 'another exemplary shirt to which the invention 'm'ayybe' applied.` In Fig. t'y-asmodied` embodimentofthe supporting meanshas beenshownrwliereinapairof tie strings 42, l2securednin spacedirelation" adjacent Veach end-0f each'stapef'i Stare-employed* in the place Aof thepreviously described :snap'fase teners. The stringsV 42; 42 can beetiediin adjusted positions to adjust accordingly -theA extentofthebelt enfolding loop-taken'intl'rebottomwthe' shirt and therebyselect the^verticalpositiortrfdr the abdominal belt.,

Since each of the` shirts to:Whicl-1-the^ afore= described embodiments w'of ltheM invention are" apf-- plied is to be foldediover the-abdomi-nalbelt, it: is preferable that theshirt" bodies be`sli'ghtly longer than'ordinary: However; ittis Withirithei55 scope of the present invention'to. modifyg. slightly" thesupport'structure so th'atrit canbeconvena iently applied to a shirt ofg'conventonallengt Fig; 6`illustrates the lastm'entonedf embodi'e mentofthe invention and. as shown,- the rein; 60

forcing tapes I8, I8 are adapted to fold upwardly from the bottom of the shirt to embrace the abdominal belt Without also folding the bottom of the shirt. The modification is accomplished easily, by not extending the stitching 20, 20 to the ends of the tapes I8, I8 and by stitching across the said tapes as at 44, 44. Thus, the ends of the tapes can be folded over a belt to secure the same in the `desired verticalppstionby means ofthe snapfffasten-ing membersand 32. shown, or b'y means of tie strings such as shown in Fig. 5.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that in accordance with the present inventiorr,conventiona1 infants shirts can be modied to properlyA support an abdominal belt upon a child'by applying thereto the structure described.

Thefshirtcansbef-.worn in the usual Way to accomplish its normal function and in addition, by providing-'support for the abdominal belt, it greatly increases the comfort ot the infant who must wear-v the belt;

It should also lie-'understood that-fthe invention' is not limited-to -theedeseribed embodimentse cept as indicatedbythesclaims Whichffollw.

1. An linfant-sgarment: adapted 'for' abdominal f sup-port comprising`V inscombination; a shirts bodyv having -shoulder portion-s; aJ plurality of rei-nforcl ing ta-pessecured l'to the-outside-of the shirt body and *extendingsubstantially longitudinally thereof `over the said-I shoulder portions, anY abdominal beltsurround-ingA said' body;- and'fastening meansV on lsaid ytapes 'located'above and` below said'beltX adapted'i to-l be interconnectedv and4A secureA said `i tapes in adjusted l`foldedpositions `over -saidv 'belt'.

2. An infants garment adapted 'forV abdominal support comprising, `in-4 combination; ashirt body having'.shoulderportionsa plurality-'of reinforc= ing Vtapes each` securedfto:the` saidlb'ody Vand ex: tending substantially longitudinally of thei body fromzthe'bottomportionof thefront 4over'the said shoulder; portions; to'. thel bottonr' portionofthe" rear thereof; an abdominalbelt surroundingsaidl shirt body, and means'oneach of"said"tap`es:lo

catedi above and"bel'ovv "said-'belt' at the' front.

andi at/t'he rear *ofithei shirt 'bodyjadapted to se;

cure said `'tapesdnr adjustedolded `positions over" saidbelt:

SAMUELBERMAN'L References Gitedfx inf the le of# this 1 patent UNITED,"A STAT-ESQ PAT I'EllI'I'S.

SWZ.' 4Mayj 20, ,1941: 

